Coroner identifies 19-year-old woman who died after car crashed into Logan Street building

POLICE SHOOTING BACK IN 2016. A LOUISVILLE MOTHER IS SHARING HER HEARTBREAK TONIGHT AFTER A CRASH IN SMOKETOWN TOOK THE LIFE OF HER 19 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, WLKY. DEANDRIA TURNER IS LIVE IN SMOKETOWN AND ANDREA. POLICE ARE REVEALING MORE ABOUT THIS INVESTIGATION TONIGHT. JENNIFER LMPD HAS CONFIRMED TO ME THAT THE DRIVER IN THIS ACCIDENT THAT WAS RIGHT HERE BEHIND ME, THEY ARE FACING PENDING CHARGES. WHAT THOSE CHARGES ARE RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE NOT TOLD US, BUT THAT DRIVER WILL HAVE DOES HAVE CURRENTLY PENDING CHARGES AGAINST HER. I LOVE THE BECAUSE LOVE THE MORE SHERRY JOHNSON’S DAUGHTER, 19 YEAR OLD AYANNA WILBANKS, KNOWN TO LOVED ONES AS YANI, DIED AFTER BEING IN A CAR CRASH WITH HER FRIEND AND SISTER. IT HAPPENED THURSDAY EVENING ON LOGAN STREET. WHEN I GET THERE. AND THAT’S WHEN THE HEARTBREAK SETTLED IN. YOU KNOW IT JUST LIKE EVERYTHING IN ME TO SEE MY CHILD LAYING ON THE GROUND, PUTTING HER, PUTTING HER IN A BAG. HER MOTHER SAYS SHE WAS TOLD THE GROUP HAD BEEN DRINKING AT A MEXICAN RESTAURANT. DRINKING. WAS COMING DOWN. LOGAN SPEEDING. AND SHE SAY SHE LOST CONTROL. AND NOW I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF HER GRIEF. SHE’S CHOOSING TO SPEAK FOR A REASON, HOPING SOMEONE HEARS THIS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. JUST DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE. I MEAN, IT’S IT’S. YOU MAY GET AWAY WITH IT 1 OR 2 TIMES, BUT AT SOME POINT, YOU’RE NOT CAPABLE. WHEN WHEN YOU’RE UNDER THE INFLUENCE, YOU’RE NOT YOUR YOUR MIND IS ALL OVER THE PLACE. YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO STUFF. YOU KNOW, YOU IT’S JUST DON’T DO IT. JUST THERE’S NO OTHER WAY. JUST DON’T DO IT. BUT BEFORE THE CRASH, THERE WAS YANNI, THE HAIR BRAIDER, THE AUNTIE, THE FRIEND, THE GIRL WHO ALWAYS CALLED HER MAMA. SHE CALLED ALL THE TIME. SHE CHECKED ON ME. YOU KNOW, MY DO SOMETHING TO EAT WHAT YOU EAT. I CAN SAY I ALREADY ATE. I’M JUST GONNA SEND YOU SOMETHING. AND IN THE SILENCE SHE’S LEAVING BEHIND, HER FAMILY IS LEFT HOLDING ON TO WHAT MATTERED MOST. A LOT OF PEOPLE LOVED. I WILL SAY THAT. I WILL SAY THAT IT’S NOT JUST A BIG IMPACT ON MY LIFE. IT’S A BIG IMPACT ON A LOT OF PEOPLE’S LIVES. AND AGAIN, THAT DRIVER DOES HAVE PENDING CHARGES AGAINST HER. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THOSE CHARGES ARE RIGHT NOW. WE DO KNOW THAT THE LMPD TRAFFIC UN

Updated: 11:30 AM EDT May 15, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Updated: 11:30 AM EDT May 15, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

The coroner has identified a young woman killed in a crash on Logan Street.The crash happened just before 5 p.m. Thursday near E. Broadway in the Smoketown neighborhood. Police said a car crashed into a building there.There were three people inside, and a woman, now identified as Ayanna Wilbanks, 19, of Louisville, died at the scene. Her cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries from the crash."A lot of people loved her. I will say that. I will say that is not just a big impact on my life. It's a big impact on a lot of people's lives," said Sherry Johnson, the woman who raised Ayanna.Johnson told WLKY that she, her sister and her friend had been drinking, and Wilbanks was in the passenger seat."They was at a Mexican restaurant drinking. They said they were coming down Logan, speeding. They say she lost control," said Johnson.The two others were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.LMPD confirmed charges are pending against the driver. LMPD's Traffic Unit is leading the investigation.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

The coroner has identified a young woman killed in a crash on Logan Street.

The crash happened just before 5 p.m. Thursday near E. Broadway in the Smoketown neighborhood.

Police said a car crashed into a building there.

There were three people inside, and a woman, now identified as Ayanna Wilbanks, 19, of Louisville, died at the scene. Her cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries from the crash.

"A lot of people loved her. I will say that. I will say that is not just a big impact on my life. It's a big impact on a lot of people's lives," said Sherry Johnson, the woman who raised Ayanna.

Ayanna's mother

Ayanna

Johnson told WLKY that she, her sister and her friend had been drinking, and Wilbanks was in the passenger seat.

"They was at a Mexican restaurant drinking. They said they were coming down Logan, speeding. They say she lost control," said Johnson.

The two others were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

LMPD confirmed charges are pending against the driver.

LMPD's Traffic Unit is leading the investigation.

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Coroner identifies 19-year-old woman who died after car crashed into Logan Street building

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